Wasted
by Neolithic
Summary: “How did I fall in love with the one girl whose heart has always belonged to someone else?” As Teddy Lupin's wedding day approaches, two other hearts struggle to make the right decision. Songfic, complete.


Bye," she whispered, closing the door behind her as she walked out. It closed shut gently, but there was such a finality in the snap that it was all she could do to prevent herself from breaking down.

Adair looked up as the rain started pouring, the drops hitting the hardwood on the porch, leaving a thin trail down her cheek. Teddy Lupin had always been her best friend, since the day they let off a Dungbomb together back in their first year at Hogwarts.

Yet, time had come now to bid him farewell. After all, what was the point of crying over spilled milk?

_Standi'n at the back door  
she tried to make it fast    
once tear hit the hardwood    
it fell like broken glass    
she said sometimes love slips away    
and you just can't get it back    
let's face it    _

_  
for one split second she almost turned around    
but that would be like pouri'n rain drops back into the clouds    
so she took another step and said I see the way out and I'm going to take it_

What made it hardest was that Victoire Weasley was not only as beautiful as her mother, but as kind-hearted as her father. She redefined 'cool' for the new generation, and remained composed under all situations. Her grace and easy elegance made everyone like her. And what could Adair do if Victoire just happened to be attracted to the one and only boy that Adair had always loved?

_Cause I don't want to spend my life jaded,  
waiti'n to wake up one day and find    
that I let all these years go by,  
Wasted _

In her state, she didn't want to risk Apparating to her house – it was likely that she's splinch herself. Thus, she walked.

Trying to find aim, trying to give remind herself to live for herself, she turned towards the Leaky Cauldron. Maybe she'd see a familiar face there to cheer her up.

Since their fifth year, everyone had known Adair loved Teddy; everyone except him, of course. It took him until their seventh year to figure it out. But to him, she'd always been and would always be just a friend – like any one of the guys.

In the dank but comforting familiarity of the Leaky Cauldron, Adair found herself an isolated table tried to drown her miserable thoughts with a mug of butterbeer. Of course, she wouldn't break relations with him completely, but now that he was getting married to Victoire, she really didn't want to be a thorn in their relationship. And however much she tried, her emotions would always create a heavy tension between them.

They needed space, and they both acknowledged it.

Taking a large gulp of his drink, Adam Thomas stared long and hard at Adair. Back at Hogwarts, despite being in the same house, the two had spent a large chunk of their time quarreling. If Adair wanted to go have a snowball fight, Adam would insist they stay inside and study. If Adam decided it would be a good idea to pull a prank on the Charms teacher, Adair reminded them of its danger. Rarely was there an instance in which they agreed. At the time, he had fount it infuriating. Now, he knew that he would not have chosen to have it be any different.

_Another glass of whiskey  
but still don't kill the pain    
so he stumbles to the sink    
and pours it down the drain    
and says it's time to be a man    
and stop living for yesterday    
Gotta face it    _

Cause I don't wanna spend my life jaded,    
waiti'n to wake up one day and find    
I let all these years go by,  
Wasted

Looking at her deep black hair barely touching her bare shoulders, her pale ivory skin, her troubled expression and forlorn eyes, it didn't take a genius to figure out what – or who – was on her mind. After all, Teddy's marriage was tomorrow. He put down his drink and got up, and walked over towards her secluded table with thoughts running through his head faster than he could even begin to process them. Emotions of confusion, empathy, hesitance, embarrassment all articulated themselves as he took one step after another.

However, the one thought that dominated his mind was: "How did I fall in love with the one girl whose heart has always belonged to someone else?"

_He kept driving along,    
until the moon and sun were floating side by side    
he looked in the mirror and his eyes were clear for the first time in a while yeah yeah      
_

_Oh, I don't want to spend my life jaded  
waiti'n, to wake up one day and find,  
that I let all these years go by,  
Wasted. _

"Adair," he whispered, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

She looked up at him, immediately and unconsciously making her stance more confident and aggressive. "Look, I really don't…can't…whatever, just don't bother me right now."

Placing a comforting hand over her much smaller but rather colder one, he said lowly, "I know."

Adam looked deep into her eyes, watched them flickering, hoping that she understood him as well.

When he saw Adair finally release the inevitable tears, he knew that she did.

Of course, she needed time – a lot of time.

He'd been waiting all these years, a few more wouldn't hurt. So he'd wait, until she was ready.


End file.
